A new ‘Awami League’ stirs the pot at the EC

One Ujjwal Roy walked into the Election Commission (EC) Monday with a bold pitch: a new political party christened “Awami League.” 

The name—a lightning rod tied to Bangladesh’s past—landed on the EC Secretary’s desk via a registration application, sparking whispers of ambition, nostalgia, or audacity.  

A boat, a fish, and Bangabandhu Avenue 

Roy’s blueprint is sparse but striking. He is gunning for a boat or hilsa as the party’s symbol—nods to legacy and land—and pegged its headquarters to the storied Bangabandhu Avenue. 

Formed, he claims, on March 24, the party’s committee term expires April 30—no year specified, a curious blank. 

“Personal funds” will fuel it, he wrote, skipping bank details with a shrug of self-assurance.  

A past MP’s play  

Roy is no stranger to the game. Elected to the seventh National Parliament from Dinajpur-5, he is banking on that clout. But this “Awami League” is not the old guard—it is a fresh bid, its contours vague yet provocative. 

A name that echoes 

This is not just paperwork—it is a gambit. “Awami League” carries weight, a legacy of power, pain and tyranny. Roy’s filing dares to reclaim it, but questions swirl: funding, intent, staying power. 

As the EC mulls, Bangladesh watches—will this boat float, or sink under its own shadow?